Mediterranean-type Shrublands PDF Download

Author: Francesco Di Castri (red.)
Publisher: North-Holland
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 666

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Author: F.J. Kruger
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9783642689376
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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The theory of ecological convergence underlies the biogeographers' maps of world biome-types. It also determines the degree to which ecological principles, derived from research on particular populations, communities or ecosystems, are generally valid, and hence also to what extent resource management principles are general. To quote Di Castri and Mooney (1973): "In effect, in order to assess the transfer of technology, it is essential to know to what extent information acquired from studying one particular ecosystem is applicable to another ecosystem of the same type but situated in a different location. " The five relatively small, isolated, mediterranean-climate zones of the earth, each with its distinct fauna and flora, have provided the ideal testing grounds for this theory. A heritage of precisely focused ecosystems research has resulted, beginning with the international comparative analyses conducted by Specht (l969a, b) but with antecedents in earlier studies in South Australia (Specht and Rayson 1957, Specht 1973). Cody and Mooney (1978) reviewed the information available at the time for the four zones excepting Australia and concluded that the arrays of strategy-types to be found among the different biotas were so similar that they could be explained only in terms of the convergence hypothesis; nevertheless, evident differences in community organization and dynamics, especially phenol ogy, required closer study of resource availability and resource-use patterns to better explain relations between form and function overall, and to assess the degree of convergence at higher levels of organization than the population.

Author: F.J. Kruger
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642689353
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 566

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Book Description
The theory of ecological convergence underlies the biogeographers' maps of world biome-types. It also determines the degree to which ecological principles, derived from research on particular populations, communities or ecosystems, are generally valid, and hence also to what extent resource management principles are general. To quote Di Castri and Mooney (1973): "In effect, in order to assess the transfer of technology, it is essential to know to what extent information acquired from studying one particular ecosystem is applicable to another ecosystem of the same type but situated in a different location. " The five relatively small, isolated, mediterranean-climate zones of the earth, each with its distinct fauna and flora, have provided the ideal testing grounds for this theory. A heritage of precisely focused ecosystems research has resulted, beginning with the international comparative analyses conducted by Specht (l969a, b) but with antecedents in earlier studies in South Australia (Specht and Rayson 1957, Specht 1973). Cody and Mooney (1978) reviewed the information available at the time for the four zones excepting Australia and concluded that the arrays of strategy-types to be found among the different biotas were so similar that they could be explained only in terms of the convergence hypothesis; nevertheless, evident differences in community organization and dynamics, especially phenol ogy, required closer study of resource availability and resource-use patterns to better explain relations between form and function overall, and to assess the degree of convergence at higher levels of organization than the population.

Author: Raymond Louis Specht
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Heathland ecology
Languages : en
Pages : 520

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Author: F. DiCastri
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Author: George W. Davis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642788815
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 383

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Human activities are causing species extinctions at a rate and magnitude rivaling those of past geologic extinction events. Exploring mediterranean-type ecosystems - the Mediterranean Basin, California, Chile, Australia, and South Africa - this volume addresses the question whether biological diversity plays a significant role in the functioning of natural ecosystems, and to what extent that diversity can be reduced without causing system malfunction. Comparative studies in ecosystems that are similar in certain respects, but differ in others, offer considerable scope for gaining new insights into the links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Author: R.L. Specht
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400930992
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
The regions of the world which experience a mediterranean type climate, with a cool wet season alternating with a hot dry summer, contain some of the world's most attractive landscapes. In the Old World, the mediterranean landscapes became the cradle of civilization; other mediterranean areas of the world have attracted considerable populations for many centuries. These large human populations have exerted consid erable stress on the fragile ecosystems which developed in these sunny, but droughted, fire-prone land scapes. The mediterranean landscape has thus become one of the most threatened in the world. In recent years much has been learned about the structure and function of mediterranean-type ecosystems (Di Castri and Mooney 1973, Mooney 1977, Thrower and Bradbury 1977, Mooney and Conrad 1977, Specht 1979, 1981, Miller 1981, Di Castri et at. 1981, Conrad and Oeche11982, Queze11982, Margaris and Mooney 1981, Kruger et ai. 1983, Long and Pons 1984, Dell et ai. 1986, Tenhunen et ai. 1987). Much of this research has been fostered under the International Biological Program (IBP), UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) and, recently, the International Society of Mediterranean Ecologists (ISOMED). To facilitate intercontinental comparisons, many of these studies have concentrated on a limited number of intensive sites thought to be representative of a general region.

Author: Philip W. Rundel
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 366203543X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 460

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Book Description
Human impact on natural landscapes through urbanization and agricultural expansion are becoming more and more dramatic and are the cause of serious environmental problems. This volume examines the effect of landscape disturbance on plant and animal diversity in the five mediterranean-climate regions of the world. It begins with three introductory chapters broadly reviewing the issues of landscape degradation. Further contributions describe regional land use conflicts in each of the five regions. Landscape disturbance and plant diversity, and landscape disturbance and animal diversity are treated in separate chapters. Four contributions deal with demography and ecophysiology in vegetation succession following disturbance. The volume closes with a consideration of the future addressing aspects of environmental politics.

Author: Bernard Dell
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400948220
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description
This volume contains the texts of invited papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on Mediterranean Ecosystems (MEDECOS) held in Perth, Western Australia during August 1984. It thus follows three previous meetings, Chile (1971), California (1977) and South Africa (1980). There has been no formal international body to organize these meetings, merely a continuity of purpose provided by the common interests of the scientists concerned in the English-speaking world. Following previous themes on structure, fire and role of nutrients in mediterranean ecosystems, MEDECOS was structured around the theme 'Resilience in Mediterranean Ecosystems'. The invited speakers were requested to deal with particu lar aspects of this subject, and offered papers were encouraged to do so as well. This provided a broad framework for discussions which at the same time highlighted many of the major conservation issues arising from extreme natural events and human-induced disturbances in the mediterranean regions. The proceed ings were issued on the last day of the conference and provided two-page accounts of each of the contributed papers and posters (Dell, B. (ed. ) 1984 Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Mediterranean Ecosystems. Botany Dept. , University of Western Australia). This volume was reserved for the review papers whose aim was to explore general principles and unifying concepts at all levels in the study of resilience. Perth, December 1985. VII List of contributors B. Dell 1. E.

Author: Karen J. Esler
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198739133
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
This book provides a concise but comprehensive introduction to Mediterranean-type ecosystems with the emphasis being on the organisms that dominate these regions although their management, conservation, and restoration will also be considered.